This is a simple bath recipe – that has some pretty powerful benefits. I’m going to share my remedy for soothing away anxiety, with natural ingredients.

This time of year is so confusing – there seems to be two totally conflicting messages.

On one hand, the season is telling us that this is a time for rest. I feel like I want to take every opportunity to just curl up in bed and read a book (okay, binge on Netflix). I want to spend quiet time in the kitchen, making big, slow-cooked pots of soup – warming up the entire house…

But the commercial season is telling us that there’s no time for that. It’s a new year. 2018!! We need to tone up, loose the holiday belly, get to work and hustle! Looking back, I think normally during this time I would say we need to stimulate the body, perk it up – go, go, go!

But that doesn’t feel right. And I think fighting nature, only causes more frustration.

So a big part of my self care right now, is to balance out that restless holiday/new year energy – with restorative, grounding self care. Bathing in dim candlelight has been a big part of that. Not only for the warmth, but for the comfort it brings to my entire system, body and mind. Usually, I’ll bathe in the evening – just after the kids go down for bed. I’ll make myself a Bath Bowl with ingredients from my own kitchen… and I’ll just soak. And it’s been everything.

A Bath Bowl is something I started making for my girls, but I love them to. There’s a whole ceremony to it, that I really enjoy. With the bowl cupped in my hand – I’ll walk around my kitchen, go through all my herbal teas, scoop in salts, sliver in slices of cocoa butter … and cherry-pick ingredients that feel right.

Yesterday, I made a Rose and Vanilla Bath Bowl – and I never ever wanted to get out that bath. This blend is calming and nourishing. It features herbs known to ease anxiety and frustration, that activate self love and compassion. And make you feel so luxurious, skin like silk!

Rose: In the winter, our body begins to feel dry and stiff. The temptation is to lather on rich oils and butters – but we mustn’t forget that what we need most, is hydration. Rose is a hydrating herb. It softens the body, it moistens the tissues and restores suppleness. It’s the herb of love. The aromatherapy benefits are empowering, it makes you feel wide open to give and receive.

Vanilla: An aphrodisiac, vanilla is elegant and intoxicating. It captures a distracted mind and brings it right into this present moment. Vanilla is a sweet herb, which is a class of herbs that are known to be hydrating. It moistens tissue, like rose. There are a few ways to incorporate vanilla into a bath: You can use vanilla essential oil. Often you’ll find vanilla essential oil that comes in a jojoba base, like Aura Cacia – and that’s totally fine, it lowers the cost. Another idea is to save used vanilla pods for your bath. Those teeny tiny vanilla seeds can get everywhere, so do make sure to put the vanilla pod in a cloth bag. Another lovey idea that I want to leave you with is to put used vanilla pods in a jar of rolled oats (the way you might do with brown sugar). It will scent the oats, which you can grind to go into an oat bath. It will be heaven! You can also add a splash of a very good vanilla extract into the milk.

Milk: Incredibly moisturising for skin, it’s also very cleansing and skin-brightening, the lactic acids eat away at the top skin layer, stimulating skin turnover. I always recommend a milk bath in the evening – after this lactic-acid treatment, you don’t want to go out in the sun – as the skin can be a little more sensitive to UV rays. You’ll wake up to beautifully moisturised, restored, glowing skin! If you prefer, you can use coconut milk for that rich, creamy moisture.

Ingredients

Instructions

In a bowl, pour in the epsom salt and coarse pink himalayan if you're using it.

Shave in the cacao butter, about 1 tablespoon worth

Place the dried rose petals in a cloth bag - they're beautiful floating in the bath, but would leave a big mess to clean up. Best to contain them! If you don't have a cloth bag - brew a strong rose tea and pour the tea into the bath.

Pour a cup of milk in a little milk jar and place it in the bowl.

I hope you find yourself making a bath bowl tonight! Because when you’re gearing up to do big and new things, nourishing yourself with so much self love – is what helps you get stuff done, with grace.

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Comments (2)

Thank you Militza! Your bath recipe is awesome. Now in Singapore, the weather is pretty grey and cold (only 22 degrees celcius) for a tropical climate…and continuously pouring rain from the monsoon. This bath recipe is exactly what I needed: natural and simple comfort, nourishment and warmth ! We miss you a lot here but fortunately, we continue getting your amazing recipes like this one through your website and fb page. Happy new year 2018 !

About Me

Hi, I'm Militza

I was a busy mom living in a busy city, frustrated by the things I learned about the products I brought into my home. I began to make my own skincare from necessity and it turned into a happy, healthy & green lifestyle. And now I want the same for you too.